Rakuten Maritime: Maritime cybersecurity readiness remains limited by industry fragmentation
Rakuten Maritime: Maritime cybersecurity readiness remains limited by industry fragmentation
Publish Date: 2026-06-11 04:22:00
Source Domain: safety4sea.com
The maritime industry is not yet fully prepared for rapidly evolving cyber threats, as its fragmented structure makes coordinated action and faster adoption of new practices more difficult, explained Ryan Son, Managing Director of Rakuten Symphony Singapore & Korea and the Head of Rakuten Maritime, in an exclusive interview during Posidonia 2026, held June 1-5 in Athens.
As vessels become increasingly connected, cyber resilience is becoming a more urgent priority for shipping. However, cybersecurity awareness across the maritime sector remains at an early stage compared with other major global industries, creating the need for stronger education, more coordinated action, and a shift from basic compliance toward real protection.
Awareness before adoption
Rakuten Maritime’s positioning in the market begins with awareness. Before stakeholders can decide whether to adopt new practices or solutions, they first need to understand why cybersecurity matters and how emerging risks may affect their operations.
Before stakeholders make any decisions on whether to adopt new practices or solutions, they need to understand why it matters,
…Son said.
Without this foundation, cybersecurity may still be seen as a distant concern rather than an immediate and present risk. This is why Rakuten Maritime does not begin its client conversations by focusing only on product specifications or individual features.
“We don’t start every client conversation with product specifications,” he explained. “We start by helping stakeholders understand what kind of cybersecurity threats and risks they may face in the near future.”
This approach reflects the company’s ambition to act first as a trusted partner and advisor to the industry, rather than simply as a technology provider.
“We want to be a trusted partner and solid advisor or consultant before being just a solution provider,” Son emphasized.
Fragmentation slows coordinated action
When asked whether the maritime…
